1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a trip monitoring system and a method of rewarding persons, in particular commuters, for using beneficial forms of travel. The “benefits” refer to means of local travel that involve one or more of: exercise, minimizing emissions and pollution, reducing road congestion, reducing use of motor vehicles, enabling higher density living, contributing to city ambience and quality of life and generally easing the load on city infrastructure.
In particular the invention contemplates and proposes a system of reward for those who commute to work (or other regular destinations) using green travel means—and preferably under their own power—as a way of promoting and achieving the above benefits, in particular improved workforce health and productivity and decreased pressure on the environment and economy (from health and infrastructure spending).
2. Description of Related Art
For the purposes of this specification, the term “commute” is given the Merriam-Webster meaning—“to travel regularly to and from a place and especially between where you live and where you work”.
The main beneficial forms of travel are cycling, running, walking and public transport. The main benefits are exercise, reducing road congestion and reducing emissions. Cycling is considered to have the ideal mix of vehicle-based speed and human-powered health and environmental benefits. A significant cost borne by employers, health insurers and state health systems relates to illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle. There is arguably a global obesity epidemic. For example, Monash University states that obesity is the most serious health issue facing the developed world. Further, mental and stress-related illnesses are on the rise as increasing populations, decreasing resources and technological advances create more competitive, faster-paced societies. It is proposed that healthy and fit people work harder, take fewer sick days, are less of a drain on the health system, have a greater sense of well-being and contribute more to their families and society.
It is general knowledge that regular exercise is fundamental for good health, however as people get busier and more reliant on technology they often neglect to exercise, even though exercise can usually be incorporated into peoples' everyday routine. While flexible, remote working is being adopted more widely, the majority of workers still commute daily to their place of work. This commute time represents a significant untapped resource—people should be encouraged to spend it exercising, rather than just travelling.
Efforts have been made regularly to encourage the use of bicycles by commuters, especially where distances for walking or running (or even swimming partly) to work are impractical. The City of Brisbane, following the lead of certain European cities, has implemented a system of making bicycles available for hire to anyone in the central business area and nearby environs wishing to undertake a short trip. However, this pay-as-you-go initiative does not provide incentive to use bicycles for the actual commute to and from work.
Although cyclists are not bound to follow any particular route into an area of a city such as its central business district (CBD), more and more cities are developing designated, dedicated, or purpose-built bike-ways to facilitate cycling into their CBD, thereby reducing the number of cyclists on the roads and attendant risks.
Loyalty and reward schemes are well known to air travellers and shoppers. Airline loyalty schemes are based on distances flown and provide various forms of rewards of a material kind to their subscribers. Shopping rewards are based on money spent at the host store and may provide financial rewards such as discounts for further purchases, or more material rewards such as goods or holidays or accommodation when different levels of expenditure are reached by the subscribing shopper. In addition, it is notable that the reward-earning systems are specific to particular stores or enterprises.
Toll roads make use of transmitting devices mounted to vehicles to detect and identify them and their owners as they pass receiver stations at toll gates. However, these are for exacting a toll from the driver for the convenience of using the road, rather than rewarding a motorist. Often this discourages drivers from using the toll road, as in the case of the “Clem 7” Tunnel road system in Brisbane, Australia.
The Australian government has set a carbon emissions reduction target of 5% by 2020. Key to achieving this goal was replacement of coal-fired power stations by gas, but the huge growth in gas exports has helped increase the domestic gas price to the extent that replacing many of the old power facilities is no longer economically viable. Other measures are needed to enable the target to be approached, let alone reached.
The said government has planned a $3 billion “Emissions Reduction Fund” from which to finance “green” projects intended to reduce carbon emissions. There is also a national 15 year infrastructure plan, involving accelerated delivery of major roads and highways that it is hoped will reduce bottlenecks on currently gridlocked roads and highways. However, conventional wisdom suggests that bigger roads just attract more vehicles, so that the congestion cycle repeats, each time on a larger scale than before. At least a part of the solution would appear to lie in getting current road users to not use the roads or to only use them for public transport.
Australian cities are beginning to experience levels of congestion that were eclipsed long ago in other countries. It is clear that cities the world over need to implement measures that improve the health and quality of life of their inhabitants, limit further congestion and urban sprawl and, perhaps most importantly, preserve natural resources and avoid further environmental damage. The global financial crisis and ongoing issues in the United States of America and Europe reveal that (at least some) economic systems are unstable and overstretched. Given the huge numbers of people commuting daily, combined with the economic cost of healthcare, road infrastructure, pollution and climate change, there is a strong economic (not to mention social and environmental) case for privately and publicly (government) funded beneficial commute measures.
The smartphone application “re:route” provides London commuters and other travellers with a trip-planning platform whereby the user inputs his starting point and destination addresses and the app suggests different routes and modes of travel for the user to choose in making the trip. The re:route app was designed to encourage cycling and walking. It uses a GPS-reliant system to record when the trip is completed and, provided the trip qualifies (it must be at least 4 minutes in length), awards 5 points per trip, which points then accumulate to the user and can be redeemed as discounts with participating retailers. According to an article describing re:route: “To use the app, travellers input their route's start and end points to discover ways that mix and match public transportation with walking and cycling; they can also customize routes based on goals—if they want to focus on maximizing calorie burn or minimizing carbon footprint.”
Shortcomings of the above known system are that the rewards offered are fairly trivial retail discounts or similar, in awarding points the app does not differentiate by kilometers/miles travelled, the app does not award points for using public transport, the app does not award different types of points depending on mode of travel (which allows rewards to be more targeted), the app does not record non-beneficial trips (for the purposes of comparison and building a data set) and the app does not specifically cater for employers and other organisations/associations/institutions to create an account in order to encourage their members to commute beneficially (or reward the organisation for doing so, for example by advertising their involvement to the public or by rewards/incentives issued by governments or other companies). A further shortcoming is that it seems to reward any qualifying trip, rather than focussing on regular commutes. This means that users are encouraged to use the app for purely recreational/health/fitness purposes, whereas the present invention aims to encourage beneficial forms of commute in circumstances where a harmful form of commute is the default option, or at least a tempting alternative. Where the user is simply going for a run/walk/cycle for exercise or leisure, the use of a harmful form of commute is not a realistic alternative.
The smartphone application “Calico” similarly encourages users in Perth, Western Australia to get fit and active by engaging GPS technology to monitor users' exercise regimes (by way of walking, running and cycling) and awarding points which can be redeemed with participating local businesses. The app monitors distance, speed and calorie consumption, among other things. The makers describe Calico as a “fitness app”.
A shortcoming of the above known system, in terms of encouraging beneficial commuting, is that Calico is confined to health and fitness. It does not specifically encourage commuters (or organisations) to swap harmful forms of commute for beneficial forms of commute and it does not provide a tailored system for doing so. It consequently does not address the congestion, infrastructure and environmental problems that the present invention covers. Like re:route, the rewards are retail discounts and offers by participating retailers. The app does not appear to contemplate the employer of the individual, the government or other organisations/associations/institutions using the app to enable more significant and sophisticated rewards (for example tax incentives) to encourage beneficial forms of commuting.
A known tracking system used by sports-people for calculating their distances and times is the GPS-reliant system known under the trade-name “Strava”. This system requires users to log in to it as subscribers and download the Strava software application or “app” to their GPS device. The GPS device could be a GPS-enabled mobile telephone or a dedicated GPS device such as a hand-held or wearable satellite-navigation or global locating aid, an example being the Garmin Edge 500™ GPS-based cycling computer, “for performance-driven cyclists”. The app enables the user to use his or her GPS-enabled device to track his or her rides or runs. Once the user has completed a ride or run, the user's monitored activity data is uploaded automatically to the website Strava.com, operated by the proprietor of the system. Alternatively, the user's data may be synchronised with the user's Strava account using a personal computer logged into the Strava website.
A shortcoming of the above known system is that although it provides users with motivational features such as the facility to set progress goals, it does not provide for the issuing of rewards, such as in the form of value, when targeted achievements are reached, in particular in the context of commuting, managing commuter traffic and encouraging participation in health-promoting behaviours. Instead, it encourages competition between users and for users to compare their performances with those of other subscribers. The emphasis here is on training and performance, rather than encouraging the use of cycling, running or walking as a commuting tool.
It is an object of this invention to address the shortcomings of the prior art and, in doing so, to provide a system that will encourage commuters to make use of more beneficial forms of travel in their daily commutes (for example for people who drive fossil-fuelled cars to cycle/walk/run or catch public transport or drive electric/solar-powered cars, or for people who catch public transport to cycle/walk/run).
The use of human power, in propelling conveyances such as bicycles (or simply walking or running), by commuters is a highly desirable outcome, especially if these conveyances/persons can utilise existing under-used infrastructure or be provided with dedicated roadways/pathways to encourage such travel.
The use of public transport, rather than road-based fossil-fuelled vehicles, is also a desirable outcome.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system of reward that helps address the infrastructure issues faced by many cities, including reducing congestion on the roads (and decreasing the associated stress and wasted time experienced by commuters), alleviating parking issues, encouraging higher-density living, utilising under-used existing infrastructure and encouraging new infrastructure that is more economically, socially and environmentally beneficial than the standard road and traffic based approach.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method of helping to reduce air pollution and associated environmental damage by encouraging alternatives to the use of fossil-fuelled vehicles.
A further object is to provide a system of reward that contributes to improving the health of the general population by encouraging an increasing number of individuals to participate in regular cardiovascular exercise.
The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere as at the priority date of the present application.
Further, and unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’ and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense—that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not being limited to”—as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense—that is to say meaning “including this and nothing else”.
According to this invention, there is provided a system for recognising and rewarding desirable commuting behaviour by subscribers to the system, said system comprising                data storage means comprising an electronic register of subscribers to the system and an account for each,        tracking means for tracking subscriber commutes, and        computer means programmed to                    determine whether the travel event meets predefined commute-qualifying criteria for categorising it as a commute,            determine a credit value for each commute according to predetermined criteria and update the account of the associated subscriber accordingly,            compare an accumulation of a subscriber's credits with a reward-issuing threshold; and            notify the subscriber of having qualified for a reward when the threshold is exceeded.                        
Preferably, the system is programmed with subscriber-adjustable settings allowing the subscriber to control the criteria for the issuing of notifications.
It is within the scope of this invention that the subscriber is an employer or other organisation who might earn rewards from the government, or from a major corporation which approves of the employer's involvement in the system, such as on the basis of corporate social responsibility, or a quality endorsement.
Different types of credits are awarded depending on types (and even times) of travel (Eg cycling points, running points, bus points, peak hour points). It is intended that the more “beneficial” the travel event (measured against the “benefit” types listed above), the higher the value of the reward credits—for example, running 2 km to work will generate more reward credits than a 2 km bus trip, or cycling 30 km to work will generate more credits than cycling 5 km to work, and cycling on a designated cycle path will generate more credits than cycling on a main road.
In a preferred form of the invention, the credit value is a function of a beneficial effect of a commute, computed according to pre-defined benefit criteria. For example, the predefined benefit criteria define desirable behaviour to include a subscriber commute in which a prescribed minimum segment is achieved by using a particular form of transport or conveyance.
Credit value awarded may further depend on type of travel, distance of travel and other criteria. For example, a criterion may be that the segment is required to be accomplished without using any conveyance that is an animal, or is animal-drawn, or has more than three wheels and is combustion-engine driven. Travel by bus is not necessarily excluded, the extent of road use being merely one factor for taking into account when determining credit value. By way of example, the driving of a solar-powered car on a public road would be awarded a greater number of credits than driving the same size of electric vehicle on that road. Also, a person who lives 2 kilometers from the city, drives one kilometer to the train station and then catches a train to work, using up a parking bay for the day would qualify for credits for public transport, but would receive zero credits, or even be penalised, for (a) driving to the train station, (b) using the car park and (c) not walking or cycling directly to work. The software can then apply more and more criteria regarding what is “beneficial” as system needs evolve.
In addition in an embodiment, the system is programmed with criteria providing for the “credits” to be weighted, so that short distance travel events score higher per kilometer than long commutes, in order that people are encouraged to live near the CBD, rather than getting huge points for commuting from far away.
Preferably, the computer is programmed further for one or more of the following:                receiving data relating to subscriber location        logging travel events attributable to a subscriber.        determining whether a logged travel event includes characteristics of desired commuter behaviour according to predetermined criteria to qualify as a beneficial commute and be credit-earning.        posting credit commensurate with the extent of said behaviour to the account of the subscriber.        
Further, in the invention, the data storage means contains individual subscriber data and a travel event is determined to be a commute on the basis of comparing data of the tracked travel event with said individual subscriber data. The subscriber data comprises the subscriber address. Furthermore, the subscriber data may comprise the subscriber's work or other relevant address (for example, university) and working/contact hours. These may be set or determined on the basis of historical data captured in the data storage means.
In an embodiment, the previously tracked travel data includes commute beginning and end point locations associated with the subscriber.
The system preferably further comprises means for issuing a reward in electronic form to the subscriber. The reward may be a voucher, or a printable or purely electronic value token redeemable at a designated reward giving agent of the system. In an embodiment, the computer is programmed by way of its software to simply notify a reward-giver that a subscriber has achieved qualification for a reward, such that the reward is automatically activated, for example a tax incentive or insurance premium discount, with confirmation being communicated to the subscriber, and in the case of a subscriber being an organisation of multiple subscribing members, the individual commuter member too.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the credit value is a positive number if a subscriber travel event, which has been determined to qualify as a commute, includes a segment or segments of the commute in excess of a prescribed minimum that is accomplished using a beneficial form of travel.
In an embodiment, the system comprises means for communicating to the subscriber notification of having qualified for a reward and providing the subscriber a choice of rewards.
The subscriber may be an individual or a group of individuals, for example an employer company or a club having members. A group (such as a club) would have a common goal of accumulating qualifying journeys to attain a target resulting in a reward being issued to the group as a whole. In the case of an employer company, the individual employees could have their own accounts for personal rewards (from the employer or otherwise), however the employer company could also create an account which would record the number of its employees participating in the scheme, record their collective performance and potentially qualify the employer for rewards in its own right (for example from the government, local councils or other companies) and the company may or may not pass on such rewards to its participating employees.
In an embodiment, the tracking means comprises transponder means, and two or more detection stations located on a designated commuter route, making use of RFID technology of generally known components and configuration.
In a preferred embodiment, the tracking means comprises a plurality of mobile global positioning-enabled devices (GPS devices) allocated to respective subscribers, and                computer means configured and programmed to maintain a data-receiving account associated with the subscriber using the GPS device,                    receive location and time-related data captured by means of said device,            update the account with the location and time-related data,            compare changes in location of the device with pre-set criteria,            compute whether or not the location and time-related data and two or more changes in location represent a travel event,            characterise the travel event according to the criteria,            calculate whether an accumulation of data representing travel events made by the subscriber qualifies the subscriber for a reward or rewards,            according to the criteria, and            notify the subscriber accordingly.                        
The computer preferably is further programmed to compare location and time-related data against maps.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the GPS devices are configured to communicate, over a global communications network, such as the internet, with said computer means. Preferably, the communications are at least in part encrypted.
In an alternative preferred form of the invention, the computer means comprises first computer means remotely located from the GPS device and second computer means housed with the GPS device to be carried with it. Preferably the second computer means is integrated with the GPS device. In a preferred embodiment, the second computer means and the GPS device are integrated into a mobile telephone, tablet or similar device. Alternatively, they are integrated into a device for wearing or attachment on the person of the subscriber.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the first and second computer means between them perform the functionality of the first mentioned computer means above.
Preferably, data captured by the GPS device is retained on both the first and second computer means, such as for back-up and security/redundancy purposes.
In a preferred form of the invention, the criteria relate to travel involving a threshold level of human effort.
Preferably, the criteria further relate to travel carried out without the use of power derived from a fossil fuel.
The system computer is further loaded with a software app capable of recognizing different “legs” or segments of a travel event. Thus one commute might involve a combination of driving, walking and public transport, so that the relative advantages and disadvantages of each leg are compared and computed when awarding credits for the event.
Generally, in this invention, in a preferred embodiment, a subscriber is a cyclist, who engages in the physical activity of commuting to his place of work by bicycle (push-bike), and carries a mobile telephone (or a similar wearable communications device) that comprises the GPS device, the second computer means, and installed software application means, adapted for causing the second computer means to be programmed to transmit, to a centralised database managed by the first computer means, data about a travel event undertaken by the subscriber, on the basis of location and time data captured in use by the GPS device.
In other embodiments, the subscriber engages in forms of exercise other than cycling to work. In such embodiments, reward systems based on different criteria are provided and reward-qualifying notification means is activated when stipulated criteria are met. For example, for the same distance, catching the train to work would generate fewer points than cycling (more congestion and emissions, less exercise I.e. just walking to/from the station) and running would generate more points than cycling (more exercise).
Rewards may comprise pecuniary elements or material goods, or a combination thereof. They may also comprise work-related benefits for a subscriber, or credits to a charity.
Further, according to the invention, rewards may be provided by sponsors generally seeking advertising exposure or seeking to target particular types of desirable customer, with the first computer means being programmed to receive from the host computer sponsor-related information for display on the display or by way of audio output. For example, such information may be output when the device is switched on, or the program interfacing with the system is caused to run.
Yet further, according to the invention, there are provided                locating means associated with each subscriber and being capable of capturing data pertaining to the location of such means as a representation of the subscriber's location, and        computer means having loaded thereon programming instructions        comprising input means enabling a commuter to subscribe to the system,        comprising means for receiving subscriber location data from said locating means, and        being programmed for                    processing said data,            calculating the rate of travel            categorising the travel event,            logging travel event by the subscriber to and from said subscriber's workplace (or other qualifying commute destination) by a beneficial form of travel, and            determining whether a subscriber's travel events satisfy a reward-qualifying criterion; and            outputting notification when said criterion is satisfied.                        
In a preferred form of the invention, the computer means is remotely located with respect to the locating means. In an embodiment, the computer means is comprised in a server operable by a manager of the subscriber database. The computer means is programmed to process the location data to detect whether the subscriber location has changed.
Preferably, the computer means is programmed further to calculate the extent of a location change and further preferably to determine the nature of conveyance assumed to have resulted in the change, for example whether the rate of change is representative of a travel event undertaken by bicycle or by foot, and whether by running, or walking. The number of points awarded per kilometer can be tailored to the mode of beneficial travel.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the computer means is associated with, so as to be borne by, the subscriber. The computer means may be adapted for wearing by the subscriber, or for carrying in a receptacle on the subscriber's person, or on his or her conveyance means, or for attachment thereto.
In a preferred form of the invention, the reward-qualifying criterion takes into account travel event distance.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the criterion takes into account travel event time. Alternatively, or in addition, data to be taken into account includes speed, land date, for determining the travel event is in peak hour on a work day or is to a big event, in which case the authorities might want to reward certain forms of commute between certain periods.
In a still further preferred form of the invention, the location determining means comprises real time location means.
Thus, according to an embodiment of the invention, a subscriber cyclist carries a mobile telephone comprising computer means and global positioning means and a software application installed which causes the computer means to be programmed to transmit, to a centralised database, data about a travel event undertaken by the subscriber.
Data relating to the travel event undertaken is stored in the database. A computer monitors the database and calculates whether a subscriber has qualified for a reward, based on the travel events undertaken.
The tracking can be switched on or off manually by the subscriber, or, preferably, be activated automatically via activation means such as proximity sensing means on the subscriber's bicycle. Most preferably, the system is configured to track the subscriber automatically. In particular, by saving their work commute as a regular commute, the GPS function will be programmed to switch on at specific times per day and to record the commute when the subscriber passes a pre-programmed start point. An example of such means is a proximity switch. Another example is a transponder having communication with the device.
Alternatively, the program is designed to distinguish a bicycle travel event from a motor vehicle trip or walk or running travel event. This is done by calculating not only instantaneous velocity but also acceleration/deceleration and average speeds. Preferably, the data is compared with history data. Historical subscriber data can include personal data of the subscriber's recent or earlier travel events, or data acquired from other subscribers, particularly those subscribers located nearby.
Instead of satellite-based GPS, the system could make use of stationary monitoring stations and be programmed to apply triangulation calculations in determining location, as is known in the art.
Preferably, in this embodiment, the computer means in the subscriber's possession comprises a signal-emitting device. The device may comprise a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter. Preferably, the signal-emitting device is integrated with the transmitter, so as to be part of a mobile telephone unit. It may be programmed to function in transponder mode.
In a preferred embodiment, the receiver means comprises means for broadcasting a stimulus that is receivable by the subscriber's mobile telephone or similar device, stimulating the telephone to emit a signal in response. Further preferably, the system includes attachment means for the telephone to be securable to the person or bicycle of the subscriber.
Further, according to an embodiment of the invention, the stationary monitoring station is in close proximity, preferably built into, or located adjacent to, a designated commuting route recommended for use by subscribers to the system. In this embodiment, the mobile telephone device is adapted to emit its signal according to a short range wireless transmission standard, such as the Bluetooth® standard.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the system includes an individual account created for and allocated to each subscriber, to which a record of his travel events is posted by operation of the computer means according to its programming. Preferably, the app is programmed to record the subscriber's non-beneficial and beneficial forms of travel, for example for use in statistical analyses and building a profile of that subscriber. In addition to commuter profiles, participating employers and other organisations would have profiles too, showing for example the numbers of their employees commuting beneficially, number of kilometers travelled and modes of transport, listing other employer initiatives for encouraging their employees to commute beneficially and safely—all in order to encourage employers to get involved. In issues of social responsibility.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the detection means comprises communication means for establishing communication with the computer means, enabling the uploading of data relating to travel events logged.
Still further, according to the invention, the computer is programmed for additionally:                identifying the subscriber associated with the signal received,        posting an entry to the account of said subscriber relating to said signal,        compiling a record of the subscriber's travel events,        assessing the record, and        communicating notification of a reward when the record indicates the subscriber satisfies a reward-qualifying criterion.        
Optionally, the system is programmed for using the record in building a profile of the subscriber concerned, or of a group of subscribers, or for analysing commuter trends for town and related civic planning.
In a preferred form of the invention, the computer is programmed according to the criterion, for taking into account the number of signals associated with a particular subscriber that are detected by the detection means within a pre-set period of time. Preferably, the computer is programmed to accept only a limited number of the signals detected during said period for reward-qualifying purposes. In an example, the time period is 24 hours and the signals limit is set at four—for records of the to-work commute and the return commute: the first one of each pair signifying the commencement point of the journey and the other the termination point. If the limit is set at a greater number, the computer is programmed to test additional signals for consistency with the first and last.
In a further preferred embodiment, the database includes residential address details for each subscriber. Preferably it also contains the subscriber's workplace (or other commute destination) address.
Further preferably, the computer is programmed to calculate the distance between the subscriber's residence and the travel event detection means.
In a preferred embodiment, the computer calculates the distance between the subscriber's residence and place of work. The subscriber may register more than one place of residence or work via the system user interface.
In an embodiment, the system includes time recording means for recording the time at which the signal was first detected during the current time period.
The rewards available for claiming depend on the criterion that has been met. In an embodiment, the computer is programmed to notify the subscriber when he has earned the right to a reward and specify a range of rewards that are available. Preferably the computer is programmed to prompt the subscriber to choose a reward online.
In an embodiment, the rewards are progressive, with the computer being programmed to offer rewards of increasing pecuniary value to the subscriber, as his tally of qualifying travel events or accumulated distance of travel rises, rather than being set to zero each time a reward is claimed. The embodiment optionally includes means for adapting the rewards on offer according to the profile of the prospective recipient subscriber.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of recognising and rewarding desirable commuting behaviour by subscribers to a reward system, said method comprising steps of                providing data storage means comprising an electronic register of subscribers to the system and an account for each,        providing tracking means operable for tracking a subscriber travel event,        providing and operating computer means programmed to                    determine whether the travel event is a commute,            determine a credit value for each commute according to predetermined criteria and update the account of the associated subscriber accordingly,            compare an accumulation of a subscriber's credits with a reward-issuing threshold; and            notify the subscriber of having qualified for a reward when the reward-issuing threshold is exceeded.                        
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of operating a system of reward for commuters who make use of non-combustion engine-driven conveyances, having no more than three wheels, to commute to their places of work, the method including the steps of                providing online means for a commuter to register as a subscriber to the system,        causing operation of a host computer to enable a communications device, associated with the subscriber, to receive software relating to participation in the system, and registering said device with the system, said software in use enabling the device to be used in detecting travel events associated with the subscriber,        causing data relating to detected travel events to be stored by second computer means associated with the device, when active,        causing said data to be communicated to said host computer,        causing either or both of said second computer and said host computer to compile a record of travel events made by the subscriber,        inputting to said host computer a criterion against which a reward will be awarded to a subscriber whose record of travel events meets the criterion,        operating either or both of said second computer and said host computer to                    run an algorithm for determining from the travel event data the means by which the subscriber made each of the travel events,            determine from the travel event data whether it was a commute, and to label it accordingly,            test the record against the criterion and output a notification if the record meets the criterion.                        
Desirably, the data relating to the travel events includes data of the subscriber's location at different times. The subscriber is provided with means to set particular periods during which tracking is permitted and others when not permitted.
Further, the method preferably includes enabling the subscriber's communications device to use real-time locating means to record at intervals its location. The real-time locating means may comprise global positioning means (GPS).
In a still further preferred form of the invention, the software comprises instructions for capturing real-time locating data generated by the real-time locating means.
Preferably, the software includes instructions for the subscriber's communications device, for example a mobile telephone, to transfer the data to the host computer.
Further preferably, the method includes causing the host computer to emit a signal to the real-time locating means to interrogate it as to its location.
According to the invention, the method includes the further step of securing the real-time locating means to the person of the subscriber or to a conveyance, such as a bicycle, to be used by the subscriber.
In an embodiment, the computer is contained in a mobile telephone or similar device associated with an individual subscriber, which mobile telephone is GPS enabled.
Preferably, the computer is configured to be in communication with a remotely-located second, host computer that is programmed to operate and manage the system.
Further preferably, the first, mobile telephone and host computers are configured to communicate via a global computer network, such as the internet.
Further, according to the invention, there is provided a second module of instructions comprising instructions for the first, mobile telephone computer to store the locating data and send a copy of the data to the host computer.
Still further, the software preferably comprises a third module of instructions which, when run by the first mobile telephone computer, causes it to calculate characteristics of a travel event undertaken by the subscriber. The third module preferably comprises further instructions to cause the first mobile telephone to categorise the travel event according to pre-loaded criteria.
In an embodiment, the travel event is categorised either as a commute or as a training exercise and optionally additionally as being human powered or fossil fuel powered.
The commute is then flagged as a travel event qualifying for credit towards a reward.